Power-transmission means



Jan. 8, 1929. 1,698,399

- c. B. FUNK POWER TRANSMI S S ION MEANS Filed Dec- 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet l A 2 ,7 X I mm, f

m y; 2 I

Jan. 8, 1929.

C. B. FUNK POWER TRANSMI S SI ON MEANS Filed Dec. 2, 1924 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ea 3 F 711' 5* a A I d osn i.

'Jan. 8, 1929.

C. B. FUNK POWER TRANSMI S S ION MEANS 3 Shgets-Sheet Fi 7 is a view in elevation of one of said" coup er elements. v

Fi Sis a fragmentarydetail section on the lines 88 of Figs. 1 and 9, illustrating means for automatically locking the rotor of the fluid-pressure transmission element with the casing thereof. r

Fi 8 is a view similar to Fig. 8, showing't e parts in a different or looking position.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detail elevation of'the same seen from the plane indicated by the line 99 of Fig; 8: t

Fig. is a fra entary detail section on the line 1010o Fig. 1.

In said drawings, 1 indicates the engineshaft or driving element which, in the instance illustrated, terminates in the coupling flan e 2, suitably bolted to the head 3 of the flui -pressure clutch casing. The said head 3 ma very conveniently constitute the flywhee of the engine-shaft, as shown.

- Integral with the head 3 and disposed eccentrically of the axis of the sha t 1, is a stud 4. Bolted or otherwise removably se-' cured to the head 3 is the fluid-pressure clutch 'casin 5, the outer peripheral surface of whic is cylindrical and concentnc with the shaft 1. The bore of said casing 5 is, however, generally concentric with the stud 4. Said casing thus has a peripheral wall which presents a portion of greatest thickness diametrically opposite its portion of least thickness. In said thicker portion there is provided a bore parallel with" the axis of said casing, wherein the oscillatory or rocking valve 6 is housed. Passages 7 and 8 extend from respectively opposite sides of said bore or said valve casing to establish communication with the interior of said casing 5 at two points, said passages 7 and 8 being of less width than and disposed midway of the ends of said casin so as to provide the arcuate surfaces 9 an 10 bordering said passages, said surfacesbein' coincident with the eccentric bore of sai casing. The end wall 11, integral wlth the periph eral wall of the casing 5, is provided with a bore of smaller diameter than the eccentric bore thereof and'which is concentric with the shaft 1. This bore terminates at the an nular shoulder 12. Rotatably mounted in said last-named bore is a plate 13 having an annular edge flan e 14, the free edge of said flange abutting t e shoulder 12. Suitably rigidly secured to the plate 13 is the end-V dered .by paral wall 15 of a cylinder 16 which is open at its 7 other end-and which terminates in a flanged portion 17 which is rotatably disposed in an annular groove bearing in the-head 3.

Said cylinder (Fi 3) is-provided withdiametrically oppos radial slots,- each boring flanges 18, saidislots extending the full 'or guidance by said bearing el inwardly extending beardiametrically of said cylinder and for reciprocation in said slots flanges-18, is a piston element 19 recesse at its opposite which are held by the compression springs 21, disposed in the longitudinal bores 22, normal y in firm contact with the inner surface of the casing 5.

Said piston element 19 is provided midway between its ends, in one side-edge thereof, with a recess wherein the yoke element 23 is inserted, the latter being suitably rigidly secured to said piston element. Said yoke element 23 is rovided with lparallel end walls 25 exten 'ng perpendic arl to the diametric path of reciprocation of t e piston element; Slidable in said yoke and rotatably mounted on the stud 4, is the sleeve 26 having parallel side faces slidably engaged with the parallel end walls of said .yoke element.

The width of said iston element is the,

length of the casing 5 between the head 3 an der 27 opposed to and parallel with the same.

The inner face of the flange 14 of plate 13 is stepped to provide an internally threaded outer-end ends for housing the packing elements 20 the substantially crescent-shaped shoulortion to receive the retaining ring 28 WhlCh is also keyed thereto byfmeans of the driven key 29 and abuts against the annular shoulder 30. The latter is provided with a plurality of recesses 31 in which the peri heral projections or teeth 32 of the coup er-ring 33' engage for preventing rotation thereof relatively to the flange 14 of plate-13 while permitting limited movement axially thereof. The late 13 is provided with a centralstud 35 w ich'engages freely ina in the end of the shaft 36 to whichthemotion and power of the shaft 1 are to be transmitted.

Associated with the driving coupler'ring 33 is the driven coupler-disc 34, disposed between the rin trally dispose hub 38 having internal splines 37 Said end of the shaft-36 is provided externallywith a 33 and-the plate 13. Cenon the driven disc 34 is the plurality'of longitudinal grooves in which I theinternal splines or ribs 37 of-the hub 38 ofthe coupler-disc engage to prevent relative rotation ofsaid disc and shaft,*but permit slight relative longitudinal movement thereof. Integralwith the end-wall of the casing 5 is the bearing 39 for the shaft 36. At the outer end of said bearing is the packing gland '40. Slidable on said bearing 39 between said gland 40 andthe casing end is a sleeve 41 which is non-rotatable relatively to said bearingvand is provided nular groove in which the am flange 43 ith an aned for of the collar 44 engages, the latter being equipped with the trunnions 45 for engagement with an operating lever.

Between said end wall of the casing and the coupler-disc 34 there is a slidably mountlongitudinal"movement on the hub 38 of the latter, an annularly grooved .sleeve 46 which is normally pressed away from the coupler disc 34 by the spire-helical flat spring 47 which also bears upon the retaining ring 28. plurality of slots 48 bordered by bracket bosses 49' between and on which the cam levers 50 are pivotally mounted, the free ends of the long arms of said levers being engaged in the annular groove of the collar the free space between is moved toward said end-wall of like to effect complete 46. The short or cam en-ds of said levers engage in cam recess 51 in the coupler-ring 33, the said recess and cam ends of said levers being relatively arranged to cause the ring 33 to be forced into firm engagement with the coupler-disc 34 as the collar 46 is moved substantially to the position shown in Fig. 1 by the spring 47 and to permit complete dissociation of said coupler-members as said collar 46 is moved against the action of said spring.

The opposed faces of said coupler-elements 33 and 34 are radially serrated by means of relatively wide but very shallow projec tions 52 which,'while permitting a rigid association of said elements, will also act camdissociation when relieved of the associating 7 pressure. The depth of the radial recesses or'grooves is necessarily slightly less-than the width of the retaining ring 28 and the ring 33'when engaged as shown in Fig. '1. This tendency to separate obviates the necessity of providing means to effect a separation of the coupler-elements.

The foregoing arrangement obviously eliminates all thrust pressure tending to effect relative axial movement of-the casing 5 and the cylinder 16, because the plate 13 ring and, thereis rigid with the retainin fore, with the pivots oft e cam-levers, the coupling-pressure being thus directed to exert a separating force against said plate 13 and ring 33.

Mounted in the end wall of the casing 5 around the bearing 39, are longitudinally reciprocable plungers 53, the-stems 54 of which extend through the stuffing boxes 55 into the path of the sleeve 41, so that as said sleeve said casing 5, the said plungers will be caused to move the collar 46 in. the same direction to thereby turn the cam-levers 50in a direction to permit the clutchselemcnts to become disengaged from each other. The outer ends of said stems 54 are normally spaced from the opposed end of the sleeve 41, for reasons hereinafter explained.

Mounted upon one end of the valve 6 is The latter is provided with a thereby turn said drawings.

a segmental mitre-gear pinion 56 which Said shaft is equipped at its inner end with a crank 60, the crank-pin 61 of which pivotally engages the link 62 pivotally mounted on the sleeve 41, so that as said sleeve is reciprocated, said shaft 58 will be rocked to valve 6, said crank-pin being moved out of engaging relation to the nearest stem 54 as said sleeve'is moved toward the same. I

' Preferably the cylinder 16, the space around the same in which the outer ends of the piston element travel, and the chamber containing the coupler-elements 33 and 34 are all maintained full of lubricating oil of a suitable grade or grades. The oil fill-ing the cylinder 16 and the coupler-disc chamber is received from the force-feed lubricating system, common to the power plants of all automotive vehicles, throu h the duct 63 in the shaft 1 and head 3, and the check-valves 64 disposed at the delivery end of said duct in the hollow of the stud 4, said cylinder 16 communicating with the coupler-disc chamber through one or more openings 65. The space surrounding the cylinder 16 is filled through the plugged opening 66. t

It will be observed particularly that the circumferential surface of the cylinder 16 rotates :in snug contact with the (inner) bridge-wall of, the chamber for the valve 6 at the point diametrically aligned with the.

axis of said valve. At each side of this point of contact the opposed peripheral walls converge to form wedge-shaped chambers is trapped as the piston chamber. In practice it trapping of oil created such resistance to the rotation of the cylinder as to produce a very erceptible jar and slowing up of said cylinder at each half-revolution thereof relatively to the casing. invention resides in providing the pressure relief openings 67 in the bridge-wall contiguous to the valve 6.

While the bore of the casing 5 has been referred to as being generally concentric with the. stud (or crank-pin) 4, it is actually an ellipse, being of greatest diameter on a horizontal line through the center of cylinder 16, as seen in Fig. 3. However, this dein one of which oil packlngs enter said .parture from a true cylinder is so negligible as to be of no special importance and is practically impossible of illustration in the Cylinder 16 is concentric with engine-shaft 1 and carries piston-bar 19, and as piston-bar 19 assumes the horizontal below the center of casing bore 5, the diameter of bore in casing 5 must be increased on this line to enable the piston-bar 19 to pass.

almost imperceptible was found that this.

A vital feature of the present The operation of the device is as follows:

The sleeve 41 and collar 44 are adapted for association with the ordinary clutch-lever of an automotive vehicle, which is normally spring-held to maintain the coupler-elements engaged with each other, release of the latter being e'flfected by moving the said clutch-lever against the action of 1ts s ring and of the spring 47. Said sleeve 41 is s own in Fig. 1 in the position it occupies when the said clutch lever is in normal spring-held position.

In this position of ;the clutch-lever the coupler-elements 33 and 34 are firmly en-- ,will have opened the valve 6 sufficiently to permit relatively free circulation of fluid therethrough, to thus permit substantially unrestricted relative rotationof the cylinder 16 within the casing-5.

Further movement of the sleeve 41 will cause the plungers 53 to move the sleeve 46 against the action of the spring 47 to thereby turn the cam-levers 50 to a position perinietting the coupler-elements 33 and 34 to become entirely disengaged. This permits the cylinder 16 to become disengaged from shaft 36 and to rota-tein unison with the casing 5 and bearing 39, said bearing now rotating about the shaft 36. The frictional resistance tothis relative rotation is so slight as to be wholly incomparable with that due to clutch-drag.

7 As the clutch-lever of the vehicle is released, the initial reverse movement of. the sleeve 41 causes the plungers 53 and sleeve 46 to be returned to the positions shown in Fig 1, while the valve 6 is still sufliciently wide open to permit the cylinder 16 to rotate freely relatively to the casing 5 (or vice versa), the coupler elements 33 and 34 being thus engaged with'each'other before the closure of the valve 6 has attained the point where the resistance to relative rotation of cylinder 16 and casing 5 is appreciable. Further outward movement of the sleeve 41 'will, however, gradually close the valve 6 and thus throw in such resistance.

' The coupler-elements 33 and 34 are thus firmly engaged before there is an appreciable load on either thereof, thus permitting the positive type of clutch exemplified by said elements, to be employed.

It will be appreciated, of course, that other coupling means adapted to the purpose, may be substituted for the coupler elements shown, without departure from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Obviously, if the herein, together with the plungers 53'-54 are omitted, the structure would constitute the exact equivalent (except as hereinbefore particularly pointed out with regardto improvements in the fluid-pressure clutch per se) of that illustrated and described in my aforesaid allowed application for patent,-

Serial No. 346,561, filed Dec. 18, r 1919, wherein the driven shaft, correspondlngto shaft '36, is rigid with the piston carrier corresponding to the cylinder 16 and associated parts. It would be preferable, of course, if it were between the shaft 36 and said cylinder 16, to entirely omit the said coupler-elements 33 and 34 and effect direct coupling of the shaft 36 with the end-wall 15 of said cylinder 16. This modification is so obvious that it would not seem to require particular illustration and, therefore, the latter is omitted.

As soon as the coupler elements 33 and 34 are fully engaged with each other and the valve 6 has attained substantially fully closed position, the rotor 16 will, except for possible leakage past the'valve 6, be rotating at the same speed as the casing 5, or, in other words, the shafts 1 and 36 will or should be rotating in unison. To prevent possible loss of speed oflshaft 1 and of power due to such leakage, and, further, to relieve of pressure the liquid or fluid trapped between a piston element and the valve, I haveprovided simple and efficient means for automatically locking the rotor and casing against relative rotation, said means being illustrated in Figs. 1, 8, 8 and 9.

In the peripheries of the end wall 11. and

coupler device described desired to effect direct connection plate 13, I provide registering recesses69.

ceive the pivoted shank 71 of lock element 72 adapted to engage in recess 69. The

valve 6 is provided, with substantially diametrically opposed arcuate cam-grooves 73 and 74. The locking element 72 is provided with a projection or surface'formation 75 for engagin in the groove 73 and the shank 71 is provi ed with a projection 76 opposing said formation 75 and engaging in the groove, 74, the arrangement being such that when the valve 6 is open or partially open, the projection 76 is disposed out 0 groove 74, andthe formation 75 is disposed in the groove 73, said grooves 73 and 74 being of such relative arcuate extent and position that as said valve 6 attains initial closed f the relative rotation rotation,

valve 6 between the position the cam groove 74 becomes opposed to the projection 76 and the formation 75 becomes opposed to the periphery of the cam grooves just as the projection 76 enters the groove 74. This ,lnitial movement is positive and will arrest rotation of the valve 6 until recess 69 of the rotor is opposed to the head 72. While the rotation of the valve 6 is thus arrested, some leakage past the valvefwill occur to permit a slight and slow relative rotation of rotor and easing, until recess 69 is opposed to the head 72, whereuponthe locking elementsmoves suddenly into engagement with the rotor and locks the same against rotation with respect to the casing at the same instant that the valve 6 moves to fully closed position.

Vice versa, when the formation 75 is disposed in the groove 73, the projection 76 rides upon the periphery of the valve 6 and thus supports the head 72 in the position shown in Fig. 8.

Attention is directed to the fact that the foregoing operation is accomplishedby the clutch-lever of the vehicle which is springactuated in the direction of its movement to accomplish'the foregoing operation, so that the arrest of movement of the valve 6 merely serves to arrest that of the clutch-lever until recess 69 is opposed to the head 72, the valve 6 being thus subject to the yielding pressure of the clutch-lever spring.

.I claim as my invention:

1. In a power transmission means, a fluid pressure controlled device interposed between a driving element and an element to be driven and including two relatively ro 'tatable members travel of a fluid upon relative rotation, a passage for the fluid, a manually operable valve controlling said passage for regulating the resistant force of said fluid to of said members, and mechanical locking means including a recess in one of said the other thereof for engaging in said recess for locking said members against relative valve, and means 'on said device operatively engaged with said cam element for automatically throwing said device into and out of engaging relation to said recess as said valve is closed and opened, respec-' tively.

2. A power transmission means including a driving and a driven element, a valve controlled fluid pressure clutch interposed between said elements, means for completely dissociating said clutch from and positively associating the same with one of said elements, and means for converting said fluid pressure clutch into a positive clutch looking said elements against relatlve rotation,

. a drivin arranged to eflect forced members and a device on a cam element associated with said.

' mally operatively associated dissociating means for causlng said valve to be substantially fully opened before dissociation of said clutchwith one of said elements is eflected. a

3. A power transmission means including a driving and a driven element, a valve controlled'fluid pressure clutch interposed between said elements, means for com dissociating said clutch from and positively associating the same with one of said ele ments, and means for converting said fluid pressure clutch into a positive clutch locking said elements against relative rotation as the fluid pressure in said clutch attains its substantially maximum degree of resistant force, said last-named means associated with said dissociating means for causing said valve to be substantially fully opened before dissociation of said clutch.

with one of said elements is effected.

4. A power transmission means including and a driven element, a valve controlled uid pressure clutch interposed between said elements, means for completely dissociating said clutch from and positively associating the same with one of said elements, and means for automatically cons verting said fluid pressure clutch into a positive clutch locking said elements against relative rotation, said last-named means associated with said dissociating means for causing said valve tobe substantially fully opened before dissociation of said clutch with Xne of said elements is eflected.

a drivin and a driven element, a valve controlled fluid pressure clutch interposed between said elements, means for completely dissociating said clutch from and positively associatinguthe same with one of said elements, and means for automatically converting said fluid pressure clutch into a positive clutch locking said elements against relative rotation as the fluid ressure in said clutch attains its substantlally maximum degree of resistant force, said last-named means associated withsaid dissociating means for causing said valve to be substantially fully opened before dissociation of said clutch. with one of said elements is effected.

6. A power transmission means including a valve-controlled fluid pressure clutch norwith a driving and a driven element, a self-releasing mechanical clutch operatively interposed between said fluid pressureclutch and one of said elements, a manually operable device associated with the valve controlling said fluid pressure clutch and said mechanical clutch for actuating the latter and said valve in a predetermined order of succession, and means included in said fluid pressure clutch power transmission means includingpletely I for automatically locking the same against other clutch element, a companion mechanical clutch member non-rotatably associated with the other of said elements, a valve controlling said fluid pressure clutch, a locking device associated'with the members of the latter and said valve for automatically lock ing the same against rotation as said valve attains closed position, and a manually oper-' able member associated with said mechanical clutch and said valve for interengaging said mechanical clutch members before moving said valve toward closed position and vice versa. I v

8. A power transmission means including a fluid pressure clutch including, two rela tively rotatable cylindrical elements disposed ec'centrically to each other, one thereof: equipped with radially disposed reciprocable' piston members for spanning free space between said elements, a passage in the outer element for travel of trapped fluid actuated by said piston members, a rotary valve controlling. said passage, a peripheral recess in the inner element, a'latch member ivotallymounted in the peripheral wall of t e outer element, and formations on a part of said valve en a ed with said latch meagre element for. throwing the latter into engaging relation to said recess as saidvalve is closed, to thereby lock said elements against relative rotation.

'9. In a power transmission device, including a hydraulic clutch having two relatively rotatable members, one thereof associated with a drive shaft and the other with a shaft to be driven, of a pair of opposed clutch elements, one thereof slidable on and non-rotatable relatively to the shaft, to be driven and the other thereof non-rotatable relatively to one of the said members, the v opposed faces of said elements equip ed with shallow and wide formations simu ating radial corrugations adapted to be interengaged under the influence of pressure exerted and maintained thereon, a plate rigid with the member associated with the shaft tobe driven, a plurality of bell-crank leversipivotally mounted in said plate and hearing at one end on one ofsaid clutch elements, an, annularly grooved collar slidable on the clutch element connected with the shaft to be driven and engaged with the other ends of "said bell-crank levers, 'a spring bearin on said collar to maintainthe same norma 1y positioned to hold said clutch elements firmly engagedwith each other, said elements adapted to automatically move out of engaging relation to each other as said collar is moved against the action of said spring.

- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of November, 1924.

CARLYLE B. FUNK. 

